Gripping and shock absorbing equipment for railway tracks



Dec. 1,

J. G. MUELLER GRIPPING AND SHOCK ABSORBING EQUIPMENT FOR RAILWAY TRACKS Filed May 3, 1930 '2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR DCC. 1, 1931. 1 Q MUELLER 1,834,104

.GRIPPING AND SHOCK ABSORBING EQUIPMENT FOR RAILWAY TRACKS Filed May 5, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 N u N N N o a "Q Q f f \\\Q j N /N VENTDR Patented Dec. 1, 1931 PATENT OFFICE JOHN e'. immun, or DAYTON, omo.

GBIPPIN G1 AND SBOCK--ABSO'BBI[1\1'G EQUIPMENT FORy RAILWAY TRACKS Application filed May 3, 1930. Seria-1 No. 449,469.

This invention relates .to gripping` and shock-absorbing equipment for railway tracks. l

It is the object ofI the invention'to provide l a device which when applied to railway tracks will grip the rails with a vice-like grip and' absorb the strains resulting from heavy train traliic in such a manner` that the strains will be distributed throughout the4 entire device instead of being concentrated" at any one point, thereby providing astrong and durable device. V

It is alsoanI object of the invention to provide such a device which will' be readily adjusted to position the rails to the desired gauge and to positively retain them in fixed lateral relation with each other.

It is also'ant object ofthe invention to provide such a device which will be universal in ze that it may be readilyadjusted to rails of: varying dimensions without any change inconstruction; and which .will be inexpensive to manu-facture, comprising a minimum. nun-1- ber of parts capable of being readily assembled.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a casing for the threadedpartof the tie rod and insulation surrounding same.

It is also an object of the invention t'o-proi vide a locking member which will be carried by a housing and grip the top ofY a rail-base.

In the accompanying; drawings z' Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of! a railway track with my gripping and shock-absorbing deviceapplied thereto;

Fig. 2' is anenlarged detail sectional view of one rail with my invention applied thereto;-

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view of av rail of larger dimension than the rail shown in Fig. 2 showing my invention appliedA thereto; v 1 l Fig. 4 is a detail view ot the lockingv member taken along the line Fig. 5 and looking in the direction of the` arrows member taken on the line` 55 of Fig. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 6 is a view of the v'locking member taken' along the line 6.-6' 'of' Fig. 5l and look.- ing in the direction of the arrows.

Fig; 5 is a sectional view of" the locking Referring to Fig'. 1 of the drawings the opposite rails of the track are indicated by the numerals 1 and 2. A rod 3. extends beneath` the rails Vfrom a point beyond the outer edge of one rail to a point beyond the outer edge v ofI the opposite railv and is screw-threaded at each end, as shown at 4,. to permit of adjustin-g thel rail gripping members. In order to: protect the threaded portion ofthe rod a casing 5 is provided ,and when the invention is 60 applied to tracks with which. electric signals are utilized, insulation, as shown at 6, may be interposed. between therod 8 and the casing.

The rail gripping device comprises a hous ing orV outer member 7 and a lockingmember' 05 8. Referring first tothe housing 7, it has an openingl 9 to receive the tie rod 3 and;` a iiat upper surface 10 to engage and support the bottom ofthe rail; base. Within the housing 7- are oppositely disposed inclined surfaces 11 '7 and 12, a portionA ofthe surface 12 being eut away, as shown at 13, to save material and thus reduce the'cost of manufacture. At the rear of the housing 7, in the bottom thereot, is an opening 1-1, for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

I will' now describe the locking member 8, shown in detail inFigs.v 4, 5 and 6I. Extending through the member 1s an opening 15v to p receive the tie rod'. On the opposite faces of 80 the member are substantially parallel surfaces 16' and 17,' which I will designate as upper and lower, and which coactrespectively with Vthe inclined surfaces 11 and 12 in the housing 7. Extending inwardly and' upwardly from ythe surface 17 is a surface 19', which. surface when the locking member is inserted in the housing and applied to a rail, is substantially vertical or parallel to the 9U. outer edge of the rail base. Extending infwardlyv and' upwardly from the surface 191 isa surfaceV 20' adapted to grip) the upper surtace of a rail base. At the upper end of the locking member' 8 the outer surface is'curved, 95 asshown at 21, this curvedv surface extend-V ingbeyond the housing when the parts are in assembled position adjacent a rail. The lower end of the locking member is: tapered and adapted to extend through the opening 1/1in ma the housing 7 when the device is applied to smaller sized rails.

When the housing and locking member are assembled the opening l5, which is larger than the tie rod, permits of movement of the locking member with respect to the casing and the tie rod so as to accommodatev the device to rails of varying dimensions. Washers 22 and nuts 23 hold the housing and locking member in assembled position on the rail, with the looking member gripping the upper part of the rail base and the housing gripping the bottom -of the rail base. Thel surfaces 16 and 17 of the locking member coact with the surfaces 11 and l2 of the hous'AY ing in such a manner as to prevent concentration at any one point in the housing of the strains caused by heavy trains passing over the rails. This I accomplish by inserting'in the housing the locking member to grip the top of the rail base instead of forming the housing with al hook portion to engage the said top of the rail base. The locking member also engages the outer edge of the rail base as well as the top.

In Fig. 2 I have shown my invention applied to relatively small sized rails, While in Fig. 3 I have shown it applied to rails ofv larger dimension. In Fig. 2 it will be noted that the locking member extends through the opening in the bottom of the housing, this adjustment of the locking member being possible by reason of the enlarged opening l5.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have provided a rail gripping and shock absorbing device which may be readily adjusted to rails of varyingV dimena sions without any change in construction;

which will readily grip the rails and braceV them in fixed lateral relation to one another; Which will be strong and durable; and which will be inexpensive to manufacture, comprising a minimum number of parts.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In a device of the character described, the comb-ination with a tie rod, of a housing carried by the tie rod, and a locking member carried by said tie rod and enclosed partially Ey said housing and engaging the top of a rail ase.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a tie rod, of a housing carried by the tie rod and engaging the bottom of a rail base, and a locking member carried by said tie rod and enclosed partially by said housing and engaging the top of said rail base.

Y3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a tie rod, of a. housing carried by the tie rod, and a locking member carried by said housing and engaging the top and outer edge of a rail base.

4. In a device of thel character described,

the combination with a tie rod, of a housing carried by the tie rod and engaging the bottom of a rail base, and a locking member carried by said housing and engaging the top and outer edge ofa rail base.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a tie rod, of two housings carried by said tie rod, one adjacent each side of the rail base, and two locking members carried by said tie rod, one locking 1nember for each housing by which it is partially enclosed and adapted to grip the top of the rail base, and means on the rod to draw the locking members and housings into gripping action.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with a tie rod, of two housings carried by said rod, one adjacent each side of the-rail base, two locking members, one carried by each housing, said locking membersadapted to grip the top and edges of theV rail base on opposite sides of the web, and means on the rod to draw the locking members and housings into gripping action.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination witha-tie rod, of two housings carried by said rod, one adjacent each side of a rail base, and adapted to engage the bottom of the rail base, two locking members, one carried by each housing, said locking members adapted to grip the top` and edges of the rail base on opposite sides of the web, and means on the rod to draw the locking members and housings into gripping action. Y

`8. In a device of the character described, the combination with a tie rod, of four housings carried by said rod, one adjacent each side of each rail base of a track, four locking members carried by said tie rod, one for each housing, said locking members enclosed partially by Said housing and adapted to grip the tops of each rail base on each side of the rail webs.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination with a tie rod, of a housing carried by said rod, substanti ally parallel inclined surfaces Within said housing, a substantially flat surface on the outer part of said housing to engage the bottom of a rail base, a locking member carried by said housing, and having surfaces coacting with the inclined surfaces in said housing, said locking member adapted to grip the upper surface of the rail base, and means on the rod to draw the several parts into gripping action.

l0. In a device of the character described, the combination'with a tie rod, of a housing carried by said rod, substantially parallel inclined surfaces within saidhousing, a substantiallyflat surface on the outer part of said housing to rengage the bottom of a rail base, a'locking member carried by said casing and having surfaces coacting with the in clined surfaces 1n said housing, said locking member adapted to grip the upper face and outer edge of the rail base, and means on the rod to draw the several parts into gripping action.

11. In a device of the character described, a locking member having an elongated opening therein, a substantially Hat upper suri'ace terminating in a curve at its upper portion and inclined downwardly and inwardly at its lower portion, the opposite under surface extending inwardly and downwardly from a point adjacent the outer edge of the upper curved surface, thence inwardly and downwardly and thence downwardly in a plane substantially parallel to the i'lat upper surface.

12. In a device of the character described, a housing having a longitudinally extending opening therethrough, substantially parallel inclined surfaces within the housing, and a substantially Hat surface on the upper part of the casing at one end.

13. In a device of the character described, a housing having a longitudinally extending opening therethrough, substantially parallel inclined surfaces within the housing, a substantially flat surface on the upper part of the casing at one end, and an opening in the bottom of the casing at the opposite end.

14. In a. device of the character described, the combination with a tie rod, of two housings carried by said rod, one adjacent the outer side of each rail base of two parallel rails, two locking members carried by said rod, one for each housing, said locking members enclosed partially by said housings and adapted to grip the tops of said rail bases on the outer sides of the rail webs, and means on the rod to draw the locking members and housings into gripping action.

15. In a device of the character described, the combination with a tie rod screw threaded at its opposite ends, and means for surrounding said screw-threaded portions, of housings carried by said rod, and locking members, one carried by each housing, each locking member adapted to grip the top and edge of a rail base, and means on the rod for drawing the locking members and housings into gripping action.

16. In a device of the character described, the combination with a tie rod screw threaded at each end, means for protecting said screw threaded portions, and insulation interposed between said rod and protecting means, of housings carriedby said rod and adapted to engage the bottom of rail bases, locking members, one carried by each housing, each locking member adapted to grip the top and edge of a rail base, and means on the rod for drawing the locking members and housings into gripping action.

17. In a device of the character described, the combination with a tie rod screw threaded at each end, and a casing surrounding each screw threaded portion of said tie rod, of rail ripping devices carried by said casing, and means for retaining said casing and gripping devices in position.

18. In a device of the character described, the combination with a tie rod screw threaded at its ends, a casing surrounding said screw-threaded portions, and insulation interposed between said casing and said tie rod, of gripping devices carried by said casing, and means for retaining said casing and gripping devices in position.

19. In a device of the character described, the combination with a screw-threaded tie rod, and a casing surrounding said tie rod, of rail gripping devices carried by said casing, and means for retaining said gripping devices and casing in position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aftix my signature.

JOHN G. MUELLER. 

